Invitation
by LivvieLocke
Summary: CA Halloween Fic. Cordelia scores an invite to a big Hollywood Halloween party but the night doesn’t go as planned.


Title: Invitation

Title: Invitation

Author: Kelly (xlivvielockex, Livvie, LivvieLocke)

Rating: R

Posted: 10/30/07

Email: jjsoapchat AT yahoo DOT com

Prompts Used: Dracula, a near deadly vampire bite, Griffith Park for the Stranger Things Halloween Ficathon. Prompts provided by talented Starlet2367.

Genre: Angst, Action/Adventure, Romance, Fluff

Summary: Set in S2, post-Disharmony with bits from Dead End in there. (I figured a year isn't 22 weeks and days don't last 40 minutes so I can take liberties. LOL). Cordelia scores an invite to a big Hollywood Halloween party but the night doesn't go as planned. C/A.

Disclaimer: The characters in the Angelverse were created by Joss Whedon & David Greenwalt. No infringement is intended, no profit is made.

Notes/Warnings: There is one kind of disturbing scene involving dead children. Thank you to Sarah for being probably the best beta in the universe. Word Count: 11, 371

It was driving Wesley absolutely mad – that sound, just outside his office door. He had tried to ignore it, he'd shut his door, but in the quiet office, the sound seemed to slip under the crack of the door and go right into his brain. Swksh, swksh, over and over again. He finally rose from his desk, opened his door, and glared at the source of the noise.

"Cordelia, is it necessary for you to continue filing your nails in such a noisy manner?"

She glanced up from her filing for a moment to look at the rather agitated man before her. She shrugged her shoulders. "It's Halloween, it's slow. You know, vamps, demons, all kinds of baddies taking the night off so kids can go out and have fun. I finished all my paperwork, no visions, and nothing else to do."

Wesley huffed out a breath. Her explanation only added to his frustration. "There are plenty of things to be done. Weapons to be catalogued, for instance."

"Angel told me he would do that."

"Angel is no longer in charge."

Cordy swung her feet off the desk and got up. "Cause I am totally the weapons expert here. You know, I am the face of this business and this face needs to have nice nails."

He huffed once more. She did have a point. If he allowed her to catalogue the weapons, the Polynesian throwing adze would no doubt end up next to an axe from the Byzantine Empire. "Why don't you get a jump on your Halloween plans then?"

"Plans? Oh yeah, big plans. Was planning a Keanu Reeves scary movieathon with Dennis. This is my life, isn't it fabulous." She said with a roll of her eyes and a toss of the emery board onto her desk planner.

"Going with the classic Dracula then?" He beamed, rather proud of himself that he did know at least one scary movie that Keanu Reeves was in. He wilted though at Cordelia's incredulous look.

"Please. I work for a vampire. Vampire movies, not scary. That is run of the mill."

"So what movie were you planning to scare yourself with then?"

"Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey. There is something about Death in a sunbonnet that gives me the creepies. And Dennis wants to watch Much Ado About Nothing. Guess the only murder going on tonight will be Shakespeare's."

Watching her face and hearing about her rather disappointing evening plans, Wesley did feel some degree of sympathy for her. She once was the most popular, rich, and beautiful girl at Sunnydale High School. Now she was a Seer with debilitating visions. A woman who had withdrawn into herself. He cleared his throat.

"As exciting as that does sound, before Virginia and I…separated," It was still difficult for him to talk about, even all these weeks later. It was a sad fact of life, though. "As I was saying, we were invited to a Halloween party at a club. I still have the invitation. I won't be able to attend this evening but it would please me if you could go in my stead. As the face of the company."

"Wait, YOU got an invite to a Halloween party at a club?" Cordy's disbelief was clear in her voice. Sure, Virginia had all the connections and Wes made the papers when they were together but they were after Virginia, not Wes. She doubted his invite would even still work.

"Yes, it was to both of us but I had it changed once we…" He trailed off.

"Gimme!" Cordelia held her hand out, opening and closing it so that Wes would get the picture. If he had it changed once, he could have it changed a second time. Cordelia Chase, Hollywood club. Now that was the kind of life she should be living. Even if she couldn't really have it, she could pretend for one night at least.

He sighed and shook his head as he looked at her hands. He turned to go back into his office and retrieve the invitation. He had kept it in the black envelope which had been addressed to Virgina and himself. He tore the invite from the envelope, which he tossed into the trash, before coming out to meet Cordelia. He put the heavy stock paper invitation into her hands.

She looked down at the invitation, running her fingers along the gold embossed lettering. It had been so long since she saw something this nice, held an invitation for something this important. She paused as she saw the lettering at the bottom, frowning. "Come in costume? Where am I going to find a costume in a few hours?"

"You are a resourceful girl, Cordelia. However, you are wasting time by standing here. Perhaps you should be going." Wesley tried to hide the smile on his face. It would get her out of the office and finally the annoying back and forth of her nail filing would end.

"You are right. What am I doing standing around here, talking to you for?" She grabbed her coat and her purse, wasting almost no time getting to the hotel door.

Wesley's smile grew as he watched her go, not only because he would finally get some respite from the noise, but because for the first time in a long time, despite the clothes bribery by Angel, Cordelia looked truly happy.

"DENNIS! Have you seen my clean white wife beater? Not the one that has the stains on it from when I tried to heat Ragu on the highest setting on the stove or the one that has the blue-black demon blood on it." Cordelia was halfway into her closet on her hands and knees with only her back half sticking out. She continued her rant into the closet. "You know, if I got paid a little more, maybe I could have bought a better costume. I cannot believe none of costume shops I went to had any good costumes left. Who dresses up like a fat lady with a dog in her ass? Really?"

She backed out of the closet, a pair of black Doc Martens in her hand. She sat on the floor, her back against the bed, frowning at them. "I can't believe I still have these. I really can't believe that I tried to be a crunchy granola just so Sean Taylor would notice me in ninth grade. Hope they still fit."

She stood up, only to narrowly avoid getting hit in the face with a white wife beater t-shirt. She took it and smiled. "Thanks Dennis, you are a total life saver." She put it and the shoes on her bed, looking at the rest of the items there. She knew she was missing one thing but she could pick that up at the Hyperion. Wes wouldn't mind, he gave her the invite, after all.

"Shorts, check. Wife beater, check. Long brown wig in a braid, check. Big ugly boots, check. Two water pistols that look like guns, check. I know I am forgetting something." She frowned as she looked over the parts of her costume. She grabbed the computer game box she had borrowed from Gunn, looking it over. "Oh! Yeah, fingerless black gloves and that big black belt with the buckle. Have to cut the fingers off that old pair of gloves. And I think if I am missing the belt buckle, nobody is going to care."

She tossed the computer game box down on the bed. "I think I should have just gone with the fat lady with the dog stuck in her butt." She sighed as she looked at her piecemeal costume. She only hoped that the Hollywood big shots wouldn't notice it was homemade. She was hoping that the cleavage and legs she was going to be showing would be enough of a distraction.

"Oooh, I know!" She said, speaking more to herself than to Dennis. "I will just tell them that my assistant was supposed to get me a costume but she didn't. So I had to fire her. This was a last minute replacement done by my new assistant, who I also fired." She grinned. "I am a genius!"

She moved to her dresser, getting out a pair of thong panties and a push-up bra. She was going to need all the help she could get tonight. She might be meeting some big Hollywood producer who might cast her in a movie or a TV show. She already planned to tell them that she had seizures, AFTER she was signed, of course. She had been thinking about it for a while, ever since the visions started getting worse. She needed to grab her moment, grab it now, and have some fame before the visions took her entirely out of the fame game.

She headed for the bathroom, all sorts of scenarios filling her head for tonight. She'd do a little bit of dancing, have a couple of drinks bought for her by a handsome big name actor. They'd have to go to his house in the hills because coming back here, Dennis would probably get protective. Last time she had a man over, it didn't end up too well.

She turned the faucet on for the shower, letting the water get nice and hot before she slipped inside. She reached for her body wash, thoughts of this evening still running through her mind. It was Halloween. No demons, no vampires, nothing bad. She could have one normal night. Of course, Halloween in Sunnydale, that had turned into people thinking they were their costumes and Spike trying to kill Buffy with a hoard of rugrats turned monsters. She just hoped that L.A. demons knew the rules.

Angel didn't know the smell that was in the lobby. He wouldn't have even given it a second thought if he hadn't heard the noise up in his room. Coming down the stairs, he caught the smell of something. It was like vanilla and sugar, warmed sugar. He was cautious as he made his way down the stairs, trying to sort through the lingering scents of Wes, Cordelia, and Gunn to isolate this one smell.

He stopped at the bottom of the stairs, seeing someone at the weapons case. He could only make out her hips, long brown hair gathered into a braid against her back. Her shorts were dangerously short, clinging to every curve of her hips and thighs. He was undead, not dead, and he had to admit that for a brief moment he wondered what it would be like to run his hands down her back and over her hips. Then he came to his senses. Someone strange, someone who smelled amazing, and she was rifling in the weapons cabinet.

He cleared his throat. "Can I, uh, help you with something?"

The woman turned around and he was stunned to see that it was Cordelia. "Do you know where Wes put those holsters? You know, the ones that go around your thighs?"

"I…" Angel stammered to find his voice. She looked amazing. Her white t-shirt was so tight fitting that he thought she might burst out of it. Her legs looked even better from the front than from the back. Too many months of her wearing pants in case she had to go demon hunting with them and he had almost forgotten how shapely her legs were. He could feel the demon inside him screaming to let him, just once, know what it felt like to have those legs wrapped around his head.

"Uh, Angel, you having a stroke there?"

Her voice pulled him from his fantasies. They weren't completely gone, just put away for a time when he could use them later. Like in the shower or when he first woke up. "Yeah, holsters. My, his, office. In a box. I'll get them for you." He sprinted to the office to retrieve the box for her.

She followed him, pausing at the front desk to lean down on it. She set the two plastic water guns down on the counter. She had to admit that she had only seen Angel get that look in his eyes a few times. Mostly when she wore a halter top or a short skirt with heels. At least she knew that her Halloween costume was working. If she could turn on the office eunuch, she could turn on all those Hollywood types.

Angel stood in Wes' office, taking large unnecessary breaths to try to compose himself. He had just gotten Cordy back, finally getting things back to a place where they used to be. She was his friend now and while she might have said she loved him, he knew it was just in a friendly way. He didn't want to ruin that now by trying to make a pass at her.

With a heavy sigh, he grabbed the cardboard box of holsters, backing up out of the office, using the box to hide his waning erection. He just had to think the standard thoughts. He could recall the sensations of an icy cold shower or think of hockey or remember what it would be like to be with someone like Cordelia. That fear alone was enough to calm him down.

He set the box on the front counter and picked up one of the plastic guns. He examined it as Cordelia began rummaging through the box. "How about I fill these with holy water for you? Just in case there are any vampires at this party."

"I thought vampires were supposed to be good tonight, stay in, catch some pay per view or order a pizza delivery boy?"

"They don't always listen. And if something happened to you…" Angel trailed off for a moment and put the water gun down. "I just want to make sure you are safe. Maybe I should come with you."

"You don't have a costume and this is a social event. You are the poster boy for antisocial." she lifted two holsters from the box, untangling them. "I think Wes went nuts at the local gun Costco or something here." she muttered to herself.

"I am not antisocial. I've been to plenty social events."

"Without having a constipated look on your face?" Her eyes met his for a moment, waiting for his answer.

"Yes! Why does everyone think I can't have fun? I can have fun. I have plenty of fun."

"Sitting in your room, in the dark, brooding, is not fun. Going all nuts and isolating yourself from the people that care about you, also not fun."

"I said I was sorry about that. I bought you clothes and some food." His voice had a hint of desperation. He was trying, but he could see her slipping away again. This was a dangerous slope that he was sliding down.

Cordelia shot him a look, one that would wither a mortal man and made even Angel shrink back some. "That isn't something I am just going to forget."

Angel drew in a breath so that he could sigh softly. He reached for the holsters. He was eager to change the topic of conversation. "How about I help you put these on? I've put a holster or two on in my day."

"They don't go on in the normal way. Here." She moved around the front desk and she opened a drawer, pulling out a computer game box. She turned it over to show him. "They go around her thighs, see."

"You are going as this?" He eyed the box. He could see that Cordelia had managed to translate the fictional character quite well. "I didn't think you were a video game type."

"I'm not. Gunn asked if he could install it on my computer and I said yes. I remembered it on the way home when I was trying to think of costumes." She paused as she put the video game box back into the desk drawer. "So you think you can help me with the holsters?"

He knew what that meant. It meant that he would have to touch her bare thighs, the inside of her thighs, close to her sex, to snap the holster closed. He felt his pants straining as he swallowed hard, nodding his head.

"You'll have to undo your belt and pull it out of that first loop so I can thread it through them, adjust them from there." He said as he reached into the box to find two thigh holsters. He wasn't sure what Wes' new fascination with guns was. He only assumed it came from being shot. Or from spending too much time with Gunn's group while Angel was off "finding himself."

Cordelia did as Angel said, pulling the belt out after she unbuckled it. She waited as Angel came over with the holster. He knelt before her and reached up to slip the top strap of the holster over the belt and then through. He slid the holster along until it was resting against her hip. He did the same with the other side but this time, he couldn't resist his fingers brushing against the warm skin exposed between her shirt and her shorts. She jumped when she felt the cool fingers against her. She looked down at him. He gave her an apologetic smile.

"Sorry about that." As she looked away, he smirked slightly. He wasn't the least bit sorry. He felt a surge in his groin as his fingers touched her. She was using a new body wash or lotion. Her skin smelled so sweet, so inviting that his nostrils flared to take in more of her scent. There was a hint of her sex. She was at least a little bit aroused. He pushed closer to her. His lips were threatening to touch that skin next. He pulled back quickly as he heard her throat clear. He placed the holster quickly.

Cordelia stood there, trying to ignore the effect that Angel was having on her body. It had been a long time, really long time, since anyone had touched her. Her life didn't exactly make dating easy and the last one night stand she'd experienced had turned her off them forever. She didn't need to wake up eight months pregnant ever again. She tried to ignore that first touch but her neglected body wouldn't let her.

"I just have to tighten and fasten them around your thighs." He couldn't look up at her. In this position, she was towering over him like some golden goddess. His eyes were level with the juncture of her thighs. He could tilt his chin, lean forward, and get lost in her heat forever.

He only lingered slightly longer than necessary when he fastened the holsters, fingers brushing the sensitive inside of her thighs. He could sense the blood rushing to her core, the change in the temperature, and he could taste her on the air even without having to vamp out.

She couldn't help it as she felt the cool fingers against her skin so near her sex. She tried not to shift or to let Angel know what he was doing to her. He was on the no-bone list with a huge NO on it. And he was still partially on the shit list. Oh sure, clothes were nice, food was nice, but it didn't make up for all that time he spent being an ass. She knew it was useless to try to fight her body so for now, she just enjoyed the light feeling of his fingers as he fixed her holsters.

Once he was finished, he stood up, looking at her for a moment. He could kiss her. He could just kiss her and tell her how much he missed her, how much she meant to him. He could hold her and whisper all the thoughts he held inside. He moved forward. It was now or never, Angel.

She wasn't quite sure why Angel was leaning in towards her with that look in his eyes. She thought maybe she had something on her face. The thought was short lived, however, as pain ripped through her skull, sending with it a Technicolor vision. Her knees buckled, her hands instinctively reaching for her head as if that would help things.

He saw her pupils dilate, the first flashes of the pain in her eyes before she winced, shutting them. He grabbed her, holding her, lowering her gently to the ground as the vision overtook her. He wished he could do something, anything, besides holding her, helpless as a kitten.

Cordelia screamed as the vision ripped through her. She could see it all, feel it all, as the vision tore through her mind's eye. She could smell the blood from the tiny bodies that were littering the floor, hear the screams of children, taste the blood running down her throat. She gagged and dry heaved, convulsing in Angel's arms.

"Cordy, please, what is it?" He knew that the only way to end this pain was if he went out and killed whatever it was. And he wanted to kill it. He wanted to rip out its arms, if it had arms, and beat it over the head with them. He wanted to tear it into tiny pieces. Anything if it meant that Cordelia would stop hurting.

She stilled for a moment but then gave a few final heaves before she was well enough to speak. "It was…one of those Halloween carnivals…for kids…and vampires…lots of vampires…and…the bodies…oh god, Angel…the bodies." She choked back a sob as she clung to Angel for a moment. Words would never be enough to describe the horror of the visions.

He didn't want to let her go but he knew that he had to. He had to get there in time, had to save those children. He held her a little closer. "What about the school? What did you see?"

"I…" She closed her eyes once more, flashes from the horrific vision coming back to her. "There is a banner. And it says…Cala…Calahan Elementry School." She opened her eyes, looking up at him.

He looked down at her for a moment more before he helped her to her feet. He led her to a chair and helped her sit down. He could tell that she didn't want his help, but she was hesitant in her movements and she needed assistance. He made sure she was in the chair and then turned to go to the weapons cabinet. He heard the rustle of her clothes as she stood up. He heard the thump as her heavy wig hit the filing cabinet.

"Angel…wait…" She grabbed the two water guns off the counter. The vertigo was still strong, as were the emotions and aftershocks from the vision, but she made it to Angel's side. "You can't go alone. There are too many of them. And someone has to get the kids out."

"I'll call Gunn."

"He is with his group tonight, having some fun. And before you say Wes, he said he was going to Northridge to buy some doohickey from China or something. I am all you have."

"Cordelia, this is much too dangerous. And you've just had a vision. You are in no position to be going out."

"You aren't in a position to be telling me what to do. Wes is in charge, and he isn't here. That makes me, like, second in command. So point me in the direction of the holy water so I can fill these things up and give me a stake to put in my belt."

Angel watched her for a moment. The pain was still on her face, etched into her features. Not her pain, but the pain from all the victims in her visions. He reached into the weapons cabinet, putting a stake into her palm. "Just…be careful. If anything happened to you…" He trailed off.

"Yeah, I know, you'd be out one Seer. We better get going."

The first thing Angel could smell was the blood. It hit him like a tidal wave, almost knocking him over. It wasn't the blood of parents or teachers. It was innocent blood that had been spilt. A moment's glance over at Cordy told him that she could smell it too.

"We are too late," she said. The words hung heavy in the air and weighed them both down like a thick, sopping wet blanket. She was wrong though. He knew that.

He shook his head as he got out of the GTX. He reached into the back to grab his sword. "I can still hear heartbeats. A few faint ones and a few that are strong and scared. I think the vampire gang is still in there."

She got out of the car. She had her stake drawn in one hand, a water pistol loaded with holy water in the other. "We just going straight through the gym's front doors?"

He nodded his head. He was already making his way towards them. He didn't hesitate as he kicked them open, sending both doors swinging back against the wall. The loud clatter startled one of the vampires, who dropped the young girl he was feeding from with a sickening wet thud against the gym floor.

Seeing this only enraged Angel further. It wasn't bad enough these vampires were out on Halloween, they were praying on children. It made him sick. Made him sick as it reminded him of all the horrible deeds he had done as Angelus. He charged the vampire, swinging his sword in a long arc to take off the vamp's head.

Cordelia wasn't far behind. She had waited to make sure the gym doors weren't going to swing back and knock her unconscious before she made her way into the gym. She swallowed hard, trying not to throw up at the sight of all the small bodies on the floor. They looked like broken dolls, splattered with red paint. Their limbs were bent at odd angles, heads twisted, glassy eyes staring up. Some looked trampled when the inevitable panic set in and people took off running. She could see dusty footprints on the lighter costumes, tiny fingers and arms crushed and bleeding. Others were huddled in corners, their parents either lying dead on the floor or long gone, having escaped to save their own skin. The whole place reeked of blood, fear, and panic. They were too late. They hadn't made it before the vampires locked the remaining victims inside to have their own personal buffet. Why did The Powers send her the vision if there was nothing they could do about it? She started to check the bodies for any signs of a pulse. She only hoped that maybe some of them were playing dead or weren't crushed in the melee of rushing crowds.

"Nice costume." She turned, her hand still resting on the neck of a little boy dressed up as a pirate. A female vampire, mouth ringed in blood, loomed over her.

"Like yours too. Can never go wrong with skanky ho." She kicked the vampire hard in the knee. Her heavy boot helped when she connected, taking the vampire down to the ground. Cordy aimed her water gun at the fallen vamp, pulling the trigger rapidly for all it was worth.

Angel turned when he heard a female scream. He was pleasantly surprised, for a brief moment, to find that it was only Cordy giving the holy water treatment to some vampire. His distraction, however, proved to be a fruitful opening for another. The vampire tackled Angel from behind, hitting the gym floor hard. He held tight to his sword. The vampire on top of him grabbed the back of his head, slamming it down into the wooden flooring.

"Not. The. Hair!" He growled, each word bursting out as the vamp lifted his head to bring it down for another blow. He shook the vamp off, quickly jumping to his feet. The stake was out from his coat in the blink of an eye and his offhand brandished it straight and true into the vamp's chest. The vampire gave a surprised look and Angel merely grinned. "Told you not to mess with my hair."

Once her vampire was blinded with the holy water, Cordy found it was easy to jam the stake right into her heart. She hadn't staked many vampires in her time, but she did get a bit of satisfaction from it. It seemed to help the pain from her visions subside. She got up, dusted herself off, and looked to see if anymore of the undead were lurking around. She couldn't remember how many were in her vision. She spotted one who was obviously oblivious that his friends were turning into dust buster fare. He was closing in on a little girl dressed like a cheerleader.

She sprinted across the gym, pulling kids from huddled groups, and gently pushing living kids towards the open gym doors with instructions to get out and run, run until they saw a safe adult. She stopped just behind the vampire, slamming her stake quickly into his back and watching him turn to dust so quickly she could see the little girl through him. "Nobody messes with us cheerleaders."

She knelt by the little girl. "Are you okay?"

The little cheerleader nodded her head, tears streaming down her cheeks. Cordy pointed to the open gym doors. "See those? I want you to run as fast as you can and get outside. And keep running until you find someone safe. Okay?"

The girl nodded her head and took off running for the gym doors. Cordy watched her for a moment. It was short lived, though, as she felt something heavy slam against her back. She tumbled forward, pain shooting out from the middle of her back. Her eyes watered as she felt her palms being torn open, scraping against the floor as she fell.

Angel was too busy trying to finish off a duo of vampires that were using him as a personal punching bag to notice that a vampire with a giant tin basin had come up behind her and smacked her in the back. He did observe though, after taking care of one half of this pair, that Cordy was on the floor, her attacker ready to bring the tub down on her again. He wasn't going to let that happen.

He dropped his sword and punched the second vampire in the nose. He didn't have time to grin at the satisfying crack as he crushed the guy's nose up into his brain. He did, however, have time to pull an axe from his coat, throwing it quickly, and hitting the guy about to assault Cordelia squarely in the chest. As her attacker faltered, stumbling back, and dropping the basin so he could pull the axe out, Angel moved quickly to stake his second assailant.

Cordelia looked for her stake but she had lost it when she had fallen – it had flown out of her hands and rolled under the refreshment table. She had barely turned her body when she saw the vampire stumble back, an axe sticking out from his chest. She turned her head to see Angel running quickly towards her. He gave her a look, asking her with his eyes if she was okay. She nodded her head.

He grabbed the axe from the guy's chest and brought it up to slice across the undead thug's throat, separating head from body, both rapidly turning to dust. He paused for less than a second before going to Cordelia, helping her up from the ground.

"Was that all of them from your vision?" He looked her over quickly. He could smell her blood. Something was wrong, but he couldn't place it. It was like she was sick, but maybe his senses were just confused. The palms of her hands were torn up, along with her knees and the side of her leg.

She nodded. "I think so. Do you smell or feel any more of them?"

He shook his head. But he did hear something. It was very faint. "One of these kids is still alive, Cordy." He didn't waste any time in trying to pinpoint the faint heartbeat. The child didn't have long. They needed to find it fast.

She started checking for pulses once more, opposite of the direction that Angel was heading. She wanted to make sure they were quick but thorough. She tried not to think about it. Not to think about the nearly dozen bodies that were on the floor. All those frozen faces, staring up at her, terror in her eyes. She couldn't help but take a moment to close their eyelids.

She stopped as she felt something, just a flutter, barely there, after she put her fingers to a little girl's wrist. Her neck was ripped apart, still bleeding from the nearly deadly bite. She turned, yelling. "ANGEL! HERE!"

Angel rushed over, scooping the little girl up. They had to get her to a hospital and quickly. He glanced down at the girl for a moment, and it stopped him in his tracks. Her face, like that of an angel, a real angel, the one who had called him "angel." Images of his sister's death mask flooded his mind, making his knees weak. Her throat was torn, ripped to shreds, blood staining her white angel costume. He could still see his sister's face – this little girl's face – it was the same face. It was a face that haunted his dreams even to this night.

"Angel! Come on." He felt a shove against his back but his feet wouldn't move. He could taste his sister's blood on his tongue as if it was just yesterday. They always say family blood is the sweetest, and they were telling the truth. He leaned down. Katy, his sweet Katy.

The burning sensation that hit his cheek finally tore him out of his memory. "Move your fat vampire ass or you are getting squirted again, Angel!" Cordy held the water gun up, keeping it aimed at his face.

He shook himself to his senses, focusing on the stinging pain on his cheek instead of the little girl with the rapidly weakening heartbeat in his arms. If Cordy hadn't been here…he didn't want to think about what he would have done.

Angel looked down at his hands, searching for traces of blood. He had scrubbed his hands after they had taken the girl to the emergency room but he could still smell it, even if he couldn't see it. It was there, just under his nails maybe, tempting him, calling to him, enticing him to do something that he would regret for centuries to come. He tried to focus on Cordy as they sat in the waiting room. She had been oddly silent the entire drive as she cradled the young girl in her arms, holding her close, her hand over the wound in the girl's neck. Her white shirt was now smeared with blood and dirt, the skin on her hands and legs was scraped, and there was something else. It was something in her eyes. There was anger.

"Cordy…" He finally spoke, trying to break the invisible wall he felt that was growing between them.

She didn't look at him. She just looked straight ahead. "How much longer do you think until they know something?"

"Hard to tell. Why don't you see if a nurse can at least put some disinfectant on your scrapes, maybe some bandaids?"

"I'm fine." Her tone was clipped. He had been around women long enough to know that fine never meant "fine." He frowned. He couldn't get a read on her aside from the anger that was pouring off her in waves.

"I am sure she is going to be okay. She looked like a fighter."

He was met with silence. He looked at her, desperate to catch her eye or at least have her turn her head. Her silence was a scary thing. He knew that when she was quiet like this, it never meant anything good.

"We did the best that we could, Cordy. I don't know why The Powers waited so long. Maybe The Host can tell us something? We could go tomorrow night?"

Again, there was nothing but silence as Cordelia stared forward. He looked to see if maybe someone was wearing white after Labor Day or something but he didn't see any crimes against fashion in her sight line.

"What is wrong? You know you can talk to me."

"I don't want to talk."

Angel fell quiet. He wasn't sure what else he could do to make her talk about what was bothering her. He pressed his hands together, tapping the pads of his fingers against each other. He reached up to touch the healing spot on his cheek where she had squirted him with the holy water.

"I just…uh…wanted to say thank you. For what you did back there. With the holy water. I needed to get snapped out of that." He paused for a moment. He was hoping if he shared with her, then maybe she would tell him what was going on with her. "She just…she reminded me of my sister. And…what I did to her." He looked at his hands, still smelling the blood there, the taste of his sister's blood still lingering just at the back of his throat. "I could taste her blood again. That kind of sense memory, it never goes away."

"I was just doing my job." She was silent for what seemed like only a second before she spoke again. "My horrible, life threatening, party ruining, migraine inducing job. You know, I had an invite to a huge Hollywood party at a club tonight. I could have been rubbing elbows with Leo DiCaprio but instead, I was in an elementary school gym, checking the bodies of little kids to see if they were still alive."

"It is still early. You could still go to the party. I could call you a cab if you want." He offered. He was trying to figure out some way to make her feel better.

"It is too late. I am bloody, dusty, and just exhausted from that vision. My costume is totally ruined, every costume shop in town is closed, and I don't have anything at home to make something new. But again, with the exhaustion. I am just emotionally drained right now." She finally turned to look at him. Now instead of anger in her eyes, it was pain. "They were KIDS, Angel. Kids. Totally defenseless. And on Halloween."

He wasn't sure what to do. He just looked at her for a moment before he reached for her. Much to his surprise, she went easily into his arms, leaning against him. She needed this. She needed some kind of reassurance. She knew the world was an evil place, but it was different when you dealt with it every day. Angel's mission, her visions – it was taking its toll on her. Angel held her, not saying a word, letting her take some kind of solace in his arms.

Cordelia sat in a way too hot bubble bath, listening to the local top 40 station. She was too exhausted to even bother to put on a CD. The entire night just kept replaying in her head. Not to mention the fact that now she had the entire gambit of "what if she had gone to the club" scenarios taking up residence as well. She just couldn't get her mind to quiet. Her one night of fun, her one guaranteed night not to work, and she ended up witness to something she hoped to never again see in her entire life.

Her muscles were taking cues from her brain, stiffly refusing to give her any kind of relief and relax. She was tightly wound like a spring, ready to…she wasn't sure what she was ready to do. It wasn't to go to bed, that was for sure. She sighed as she pulled herself from the tub. It seemed like her night was going to be right where she started, a scary Keanu movie fest with Dennis. She pulled her robe on when she heard a knock at her door. She frowned as she looked at the clock. Only one person, or rather, personpire would be here this late at night. With heavy feet, she padded her way towards the door and opened it. She was about to say something but was stunned silent by Angel's appearance.

He was dressed in his usual all black attire, but he had added two distinctive accessories. He was wearing a cheap vinyl cape, the kind that was a couple of bucks and came in plastic wrapping that probably cost more than the cape. He had on an equally cheap mask. Cordy wasn't surprised though. Angel opening his wallet was just as likely to happen as Keanu Reeves coming to her door to sweep her away.

"What are you supposed to be? Zorro?" She looked him over once more, unable to hide the smile that was creeping up on her features. She should have been upset, taking a page from his book and staying in brooding all night over what happened. She couldn't though, not when he was dressed so silly. She had to give him points for trying.

"No. Why, do I look like Zorro? I don't have a sword."

"No, you look like a dork." She snickered behind her hand, causing him to grin. That was the sort of reaction that he was looking for. He loved her smile, her laugh, and after tonight, he knew she needed to do both and in large amounts.

"I am your tour guide for a night of mystery and fun." He said, giving an overly dramatic bow. That was when she burst out laughing.

"Okay, Mr. Big Fat Hero is actually dropping the brood for a night and being silly? Did you drink some laced blood or something?"

He reached for her hand. His face turned serious for a moment. He used his free hand to push the mask up his face. "Cordy, I just…I want to make tonight up to you. You missed your party because of me. Just let me do something nice."

She paused, looking at his face. He didn't know it, but he could work those big brown eyes when he wanted to. And he was working them right now. She was just too tired to fight with him. Not to mention the fact that he looked completely pathetic in his cheap cape. If the evil of Los Angeles could see the Champion now…he could at least kill them with laughter.

"Let me get dressed. Do I need to put on a costume too?"

He shook his head. "Nope. Just come as you are. Be Cordy."

"Well, come on inside. It takes me a little while to 'be Cordy.'" She stepped aside, letting Angel into the apartment and then shutting the door. She headed back to her bedroom to get ready.

Angel looked around her apartment before he took a seat on her couch. He sat on his cape at first, the vinyl threads pulling around his neck before they finally snapped. "Damn." He muttered, reaching up to rub at his neck. He looked at the mask in his hands. What was he doing? Oh sure, he'd done the romantic evenings out before. Taking Buffy ice skating, that sort of thing. He still wasn't sure how Cordy would react to it. Holding her in the hospital was different than what he had thrown together. And she was probably used to fancy restaurants and lots of flowers and expensive jewelry. He crushed the mask in his fist. He kept asking himself if he was making a mistake.

He wasn't sure when he realized he wanted more from Cordelia than friendship. Somewhere between the hurt look in her eyes after they defeated the Skilosh demons or the harsh words of them not being friends, or the happy look on her face when she saw all her clothes. She only made things worse, telling him that she loved him. He wanted to hear her say it in a more romantic way, in a breathless way. Forget his curse, he wanted her. He wanted her for more than a night, he wanted her for every night for the rest of her life.

Tonight was the clincher. He watched her give up her night, her chance at a big party, a taste of her old life for him, for his mission. She rushed into that horrible scene without hesitation. She fought by his side and risked her life, her human life. She could have just stayed at the hotel, gone home, gone to her party but no, she took up next to him. She kept him from going over the edge. That was it, wasn't it? She accepted him, grounded him, she kept him human. He needed that more than anything.

A voice interrupted his thoughts. "You ruined your costume in the time it took me to get dressed?" She pointed to the cape and the mask, both now broken beyond repair.

He looked down at the mask that was still in his hand. He gave her a sheepish smile. "I sat on my cape and the mask, that was an accident."

"Yeah, you don't know your own strength huh? You ready to go?"

He nodded his head and got up from her couch. "So…um…" He said as he started for the door, opening it for her. "Do you really think I am fat?" She had called him fat twice tonight. He couldn't help it. If she didn't think he was attractive, there was no point to this evening.

"You are SUCH a dork. Just an expression. Jeeze, you are worse than a girl sometimes." She smirked at him as she headed out the door.

He breathed a sigh of relief as he pulled her apartment door shut and walked her to his car. He couldn't help but grin. He had a good feeling about his plan.

Angel drove up the hillside towards the Griffith Park Observatory. He couldn't believe his luck that the night watchman was also half demon. A six pack of beer and a container of chicken livers later, Angel was able to secure late night entry up to the hilltop parking as well as have the assurance that his spread would be safe. Cordy had been quiet for most of the drive. He chalked it up to exhaustion and let her be. As they drove to the top of the observatory, though, he couldn't help but speak to her, his excitement taking over.

"You know, there is a legend that a ghost visited Griffith L. Griffith and told him to give land to the city to build a park." He glanced over at her briefly before his eyes went back to the road.

"Who names their kid Griffith L. Griffith? That would be like Cordelia Cordelia." She shook her head. "If Dennis ever asked me to donate something I had to the city, I would exorcism him so fast. What little I have, I am keeping it."

"Well, just a legend. It might not even be true."

"I would believe that over some guy with a ton of land just giving it up like that. Don't exactly see statues around L.A. for Double Griffith's good deeds."

He pulled into the hilltop parking lot and looked a space. Even though it was the middle of the night, there were still a few cars in the lot either belonging to late night employees or abandoned. "You know…" He said as he pulled into a spot. "They have an equestrian center too. If you ever want to go riding? I could look into it. Could do it some night. I am pretty good on a horse."

"You? On a horse? Now that is something I would have to see." She looked out at the observatory. "Really nice up here."

"Yeah. I haven't been here for a while." He opened his car door, getting out quickly so that he could open hers as well. He waited by her door for her to get out. He thought offering his hand might be a bit much right now.

She raised a brow at him as she slid out of the car. "Ooookay…first you show up at my apartment in that getup and now you are opening my door?" She looked at him for a moment. "What is going on? Are you dying? Do you have a vampire heart condition or something? Vampire emphysema? Vampire cancer?"

"Cordelia, I don't have vampire anything. We can't get any of those. I just thought I would do something nice for you since your night turned out so bad."

"Ooooh." She nodded her head, getting it now. "You are still making up for the whole being a jerk thing. Okay, I can go along with that. So which direction?"

Angel reached out, cautious as a man who was putting his hand into what he knows is a nest of vipers, to take Cordelia's hand. It was cool outside, but her hand was warm, almost hot against his. It reminded him of earlier, fingertips barely brushing at her skin. She didn't say a word as he started to lead her.

She wasn't quite sure what he was planning. This wasn't like him, at least, not like the Angel that she knew. Then again, he had surprised her twice already. She walked alongside him, keeping quiet and keeping her thoughts to herself. It was a rare treat that some guy surprised her and she was smart enough not to ruin it by opening her mouth. She'd learned at least that much in her time in L.A.

He led them back down the middle sidewalk towards the lawns closest to the observatory, past some observation decks. Cordelia squinted in the dim light, making out what looked like a picnic blanket. When she saw the picnic basket and the candles, she was floored. "Wait, this whole picnic thing is for me?

"I was worried about you. I wanted your night to be special, and it was ruined because of that vision, a vision meant for me – my mission. I never wanted you to have to see something like that. I wanted…" He trailed off, looking away for a moment.

"Angel, that is part of my job. I am your Seer."

"Yes, but you are also my friend. My best friend. I don't want anything to hurt you."

She smiled softly at him. He had his moments. His good moments, moments like these, which were starting to really outweigh the months of him being a jackass. He was trying to make amends, and she knew just how hard that could be. She just had to wonder why Angel was being Mr. Big Romantic Gesture. Could he really be…no, there was no way. That was a fantasy that she kept hidden in her heart, brushing and laughing off whenever it crept into her mind. He was not one of People's Most Eligible Bachelors here. Like he said, he was doing it just because of her ruined night.

He took her hand and started walking her to the picnic spread he had spent nearly an hour perfecting. He sat down on the blanket, pulling her gently down to sit next to him. "Cordelia, I wanted the night that I told you how I feel to be special."

"How you feel?"

"The next time you want to call me oblivious, I want you to remember this moment." He looked down at her hand in his, touching it lightly. He brought it up to his mouth, lifting his head to meet her eyes as he put her hand to his lips.

Cordelia's eyes widened when Angel kissed her hand. The dawning realization hit her like a speeding train, or more like one of her visions. It made her a little queasy, and there was a great deal of fear that accompanied such a simple gesture. "Angel…I…"

He reached up, touching her lips softly with his finger. It was now or never. He leaned forward, pressing his lips softly against hers. She didn't pull back but she wasn't encouraging him either. He pressed forward, snaking one arm around her to pull her closer to him, letting her body touch his.

Her mind was racing. She couldn't believe that Angel had set this up and was now kissing her. She never took him for the "woo them with romantic late night picnics" type. She had always assumed he was more of the "stay in my room and not think about sex" type. His kiss felt good though. His lips were cool, but it was oddly arousing. And when her body touched his, she felt a slight tickle of electricity. She finally told her mind to just shut up and enjoy it. She was finally kissing Angel, something she had thought about on more than a few occasions since she had first seen him.

He broke the kiss, allowing her to breathe. He looked at her for a moment. She looked so beautiful right now. The moon was highlighting her face, her eyes were slightly closed, and the barest hint of a smile shone on her face. He didn't think, he just blurted the words out: "Cordelia, I love you."

Her eyes flew open, and she moved to sit up a little more. This wasn't a casual or playful "I love you." She heard the emotion in his voice. She swallowed hard, looking at him, looking into his eyes and right into his soul. In that moment, she knew. It hit her like a ton of bricks. She wanted so badly to be mad at him, to stay mad at him, but she realized that was due to her fear. It was easier to stay mad at him, to make excuses, because loving him was so much scarier. Not just because of what he was, but because he might reject her. She'd already had enough rejection to last her a lifetime. But how could she have been so stupid? Everything she wanted was right here in front of her, sitting on a blanket, at a picnic he had created to cheer her up. He said it first, she didn't have to keep those feelings hidden in herself. She smiled at him. "I…I love you too."

Angel broke out into a big grin. He heard the words. He heard the emotion in them. He pulled her even closer, crushing her body against his. He once more pressed his lips to hers, not worrying this time about going slow or giving her time to react. He wanted to kiss her, passionately, the way she should be kissed, and he wanted to kiss her until the sun came up.

He put a hand at her back and lowered her down against the blanket. She moved with his direction. He never once broke the kiss between them. He wanted to touch as much of her warm body with his as he could. He was a man possessed now, spurred on as she kissed him back.

Cordy let him lower her onto the blanket. She even made the first move to deepen the kiss between them, her lips parting just a bit so that the tip of her tongue could push out against his lips. No surprise that Angel quickly opened his mouth and let her tongue move against his. She brought her arms up and wrapped them around his neck, pulling him closer, deeper into that kiss.

There was still that nagging voice at the back of her head. They couldn't go too far. Not only because she wasn't about to let her first time with Angel be on a blanket in public, but because she knew, with one hundred and ten percent certainty, that she would be rocking Angel's world so much that he would bliss out and lose his soul.

She pushed gently on him, pulling her head back and breaking the kiss. She panted slightly as she shifted under him. "Angel…we…we have to stop. For now."

"What? Why? I was enjoying that." He grinned down at her. His hand moved down her side, fingers slipping under the bottom of her blouse, brushing at the warm skin of her abdomen. His fingers moved slowly, tracing a circle around her belly button.

"Cause, your curse, and we are on a lawn in plain view of anyone that drives into that parking lot. I am not sure what you heard but I am so not that kind of girl."

He paused as he looked down at her. She was right. He hated it, but she was right. He was just so happy that she told him she loved him, didn't reject him, that he lost his head. He pulled his hand from under her shirt, reaching up to touch her face gently. "I don't think you are that kind of girl. It's just that I couldn't resist. You are so beautiful. And you said you loved me. And you are my best friend. Haven't had one of those before. It is all a bit…overwhelming here."

"I am with you there on the overwhelming." She chuckled as she pushed on him to move so that she could sit up. "Really there with you. I think it just hit me why I was so pissed at you. Because yeah, I loved you. I was just too scared to see it."

"Why would you be scared?" He moved over to sit up.

"Don't have the best track record with the male persuasion, you know. And you have the whole great big love with Buffy thing. The curse. I put you on the No Bone list, and I was too scared you'd reject me to take you off it."

"I was scared too. Scared you would reject me. You are…you are like this ray of sunshine in my life. I know I will never miss the sun as long as you smile."

She returned that grin with one of those smiles that he seemed to like so much. "So we were both idiots. Got it."

Now that it seemed the tension had passed, he reached for the picnic basket. He pulled it towards him, so that he could get things out of it more easily. "How about a sandwich?" He said as he pulled it out of the basket and handed it to her. She wasn't one to turn down food, especially when he had made it. He put that down on the long list of the things he loved about her.

She unwrapped the sandwich and took a bite from it. It was nice to sort of have this moment to unwind, to just focus on something not so heavy like saving the world or the inevitable relationship talk. It was just her, Angel, and a damn good sandwich.

He nodded his head. "How is the sandwich?"

"Really good. When did you pick up a Panini press?" She took another bite of the sandwich. It was melting in her mouth, a wonderful combination of roasted peppers, pesto, sun dried tomatoes and turkey.

"You can just do it with a grill and a good frying pan. I've picked up a few things since the scrambled eggs days." He chuckled as he pulled a bottle of sparkling water out of the basket, unscrewed the top, and then poured it into the plastic cup he'd brought. He handed it to her.

She took it from him, swallowing another bite from the sandwich. "You aren't going to eat?" She took a sip from the water.

"I don't want blood breath if we…you know…do more of what we were doing before."

"I am kind of used to the whole you drink blood thing. But thanks for thinking of me during a make out session."

"I know you are used to it." He looked at her. That was one of the many reasons that he loved her. He watched her eat and was glad that something as simple as a sandwich could make her so happy.

"View kind of sucks from down here because of the wall." She said in between bites.

"It is better from one of the observation points. You can see the whole city spread out in front of you." He offered her his hand, and when she took it, he pulled her up. He walked with her towards the nearest viewpoint. He moved so that he was standing behind her, arms wrapped around her waist. He stood there, silent with her, as she ate and enjoyed the view of the city. Their city.

"You are right, the view is really nice from up here. Good thing all the smog blew out from over the valley today." She popped the final bite of her sandwich into her mouth. She leaned back against him, a small gesture that caused him to close his eyes, to relish the feeling of her body against his.

When he didn't say anything, she spoke up. "You okay back there?" She turned so that she could look at him over her shoulder.

He nodded and gave her a smile. "Perfect."

"Woah, okay. Not like totally perfect, right?" She started to pull away from him but he quickly pulled her back against him with gentleness and tenderness.

"No, not that kind of perfect. I am just…content."

"Content is okay. We can live with content without everyone getting tortured and slaughtered."

He was quiet as he chose his words, picking them over in his head before speaking them out loud, not sure how she would take them. "Cordy, there are other things we can do that won't…or rather…shouldn't affect my curse. I could make you happy and while that would make me happy, it wouldn't be the same kind of thing."

"Huh? You are seriously babbling here." The confusion read all over her face. She wasn't the one that had had to deal with his curse before. Now that she was of the official kissing Angel persuasion, it was something she was going to have to deal with.

He merely sighed, not sure how to explain it to her. "We could safely do everything but." He added quickly as soon as she opened her mouth. "But with one t, not two."

"You are really making me sound like all I am thinking about is having totally hot sex with you. Oh, its there, don't get me wrong." She turned in his arms. She looked up at him. "I think I made it clear with the whole I love you thing that I love YOU. That means all of you. The man, the vampire, the curse, the soul. Its all good, Angel. I am not really that concerned about jumping right into sex. I'd rather if we just, you know, spent time together. Maybe a bit of cuddling. A few nights spent with us just sleeping in the same bed."

He leaned down and kissed her. He was so worried that she would want, as a sexy young woman who had been single for a while, to jump right into sex. He should have known better. He loved her for a reason, and the reason was just that. Because she knew him and loved him all the same. He broke the kiss and held her in his arms, looking at her. She was beautiful.

"Angel…totally loving the whole holding me thing and the googly eyes but if we don't get a move on, you are going to end up Dustbuster fare. We still have to get back to my apartment and you back to the hotel before sunrise. Not to mention clean up the incredibly romantic and thoughtful picnic of yours."

He reluctantly let go of her. She was right. He took her hand to lead her back to the blanket. But as they started to clean up, he knew one thing for sure, he would at least get a goodnight kiss at her door and for that, he hurried as much as he could to get things packed up.

He knew sunrise was coming. He always knew when it was coming. It must have been some kind of vampire evolution to warn them to get inside or get covered up. It was a nagging feeling at first, and then it grew into a more urgent sort of tickle. Standing outside of Cordelia's door, he felt it niggling the back of his mind.

She still looked gorgeous, even as she yawned, one hand on the doorknob. She'd had a long night, both in the amount of hours and the physical and emotional toll on her. He knew that. But after all that had happened, he just didn't want to let her go back inside her apartment. She was hesitating too. It was almost as if they were both scared that if they went to bed and woke up, the previous few hours might have all been a dream.

"So…I had a really great time. With the picnic and the kissing and the exploration of feelings thing." She gave him a smile.

"Me too. I am sorry it wasn't your big Hollywood party." He inched closer to her. He had been moving closer to her by degrees since they had stopped in front of her door. He was trying to respect her while at the same time wanting to crush her body to his and touch every inch of her. The respect team was quickly losing.

"This was way better. Somebody would have barfed on my shoes or a weird creepy guy would have groped my butt. And…" She closed the distance between them, wrapping her arms around his neck. "The only weird creepy guy I want groping my butt is you."

"Hey…I am not…" He stopped himself. "Oh, gotcha, expression again."

"No, this time, I really did mean weird creepy. You listen to Manilow, that goes for weird. And your whole vampire thing, that goes for creepy." Her tone was teasing him and while his brow furrowed for a moment, it was mostly for show.

"I don't have to take this kind of abuse, you know."

"Yes you do, and you love it." She stood up so that she could reach his lips. He bent his head, eager to meet her. Her kiss was soft and sweet, no walls between them as she poured her emotions into such a simple thing.

He held her closer, a million thoughts running through his head, the instinctive part of him screaming to take cover. It was the loudest. He silenced it as well as he could so that he could focus on the sensations of kissing Cordelia Chase. It was an experience, one he wanted to partake in over and over again.

In that kiss, Cordelia made her mind up about something. She could tell herself it was because Angel would never get to the hotel before the sun came up but the bigger reason was because she didn't want the night to end. She wanted to fall asleep in his arms and wake up with him next to her. One simple and normal act after an evening of anything but.

She broke the kiss, opening her door. "Angel, would you like to sleep over? And I mean, sleep over, as in cuddle and sleep."

He didn't want to appear too eager, even if he was jumping up and down inside. This was the kind of invitation he had been thinking about. He just didn't think it would come this soon. "Are you sure?"

"You are such a dork." She laughed, that laugh that he loved, the one that lit up his entire day. She shook her head, grabbed him, and pulled him inside before she shut the door.


End file.
